Introduction

A simple treat. You can use any slightly stale good bread, but challah, barm brack and bara brith make the most luxurious bread and butter pudding. The rich, creamy custard is flavoured with grated lemon and orange rind and is barely sweetened. Before serving, the pudding is dusted with icing sugar and briefly glazed under a very hot grill.

Serves 6

Easy

Ingredients

7

slices of good-quality bread, not too thickly sliced

40g

unsalted butter, very soft

50g

sultanas

300ml

single cream

300ml

whole milk

35g

caster sugar

4

medium free-range eggs

Grated zest of 1 unwaxed orange and 1 lemon

Icing sugar, for dusting

Essential kit

You will need a pie dish or baking dish, about 1.25 litres, greased with butter.

Instructions

Cut the crusts off the bread, then spread with the soft butter. Cut into pieces to fit the dish, slightly overlapping to make a single layer. Scatter with the sultanas as you go.

Gently heat the cream with the milk and sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar, but do not allow it to come to the boil.

Beat the eggs in a heatproof jug or bowl with a lip, then slowly stir in the warm creamy milk and the grated zests. Pour over the bread and leave to stand for about 1 hour. Towards the end of this time, heat the oven to 160°C/325°F/gas 3.

Stand the dish in a large roasting tin and pour enough warm water into the tin to come halfway up the sides of the dish. Carefully slide the roasting tin into the oven and bake for about 40 minutes, until just set (the time will depend on the depth of the mixture).

Lift the dish out of the roasting tin. Heat the grill to its hottest setting, thickly dust the top of the pudding with icing sugar and quickly flash under the grill until golden and shiny. Serve while still warm.